Native North AmericanGrapes and Wines

"Wild grapes are strong on flavor and weak on sugar, but sugar is cheap...."

Grapes grow wild almost everywhere in the United States, Canada and Mexico except in the extreme deserts and the tundra of the extreme north. The genus is Vitis, of which there are perhaps no more than 50 species in the entire world. For reasons still not understood, more than half the world's species are native to North America. Why this is so is not only a great mystery, but contains within it countless minor mysteries as well. As U.P. Hedrick asked in his 1908 seminal work, The Grapes of New York:

How did the grape spread from the Carolinas to California and from subtropical Mexico to the barren plains of Central Canada? Why divide into its manifold forms in the distribution?...All would take the ground that the different wild forms come from one ancestral species.

Native North American grapes were certainly widely distributed and diversified long before ancient man arrived on this continent. Fossils tell us that much. Their distributions have been natural, with birds, animals and moving water providing the means of their spread. Again, Hedrick:

As a species has encroached upon a new region, climate, soil, all of the conditions of environment, and the contest with other living things, have gradually modified its characters until in time it became so changed that it constituted a new species.

The evolutionary descent--some would argue ascent--from an aboriginal species has resulted in grapes as varied and diverse as the regions they inhabit. Some species produce dwarf shrubs 2-6 feet high in harsh terrain where roots must find interstices in rock to gain foothold. Others produce enormous trunks supporting great canopies of branch and vine that produce fruit for two or more centuries. Between these extremes are a score of species that vary greatly and yet are close enough alike that identification is sometimes a difficult task. Their leaves, in particular--with few exceptions--are uncannily similar in shape and color, and yet subtle differences in shade, shape, texture, edging and other features exist and are identifiable to the trained eye. Here, I am speaking of the adult, mature leaves. Young vines of several species produce a variety of shapes, as the photograph below demonstrates -- in Vitis mustangensis, deeply lobed adolescent leaf-shapes give way to the more representative heart-shaped leaves of (lower row) the adult.

Eight different leaf shapes from the same vine of Vitis mustangensis

Confusing the subject of identity and separation into species is the fact that, except for the Vitis rotundifolia and Vitis palmata, they hybridize naturally with captive (cultivated) grapes. Natural hybridization between native species, however, is rare, a point I did not appreciate until I met and spent time with Dr. Barry Comeaux, in my opinion the most knowledgeable and insightful man today on the native grapes of North America.

Barry Comeaux in his native grapes vineyard

To understand why native North American grapes do not readily hybridize, it is necessary to understand two concepts -- ecological barriers and phenological barriers -- that encourage reproductive isolation. Ecological barriers include (but are not limited to) wet, mesic (moderate or a well-balanced supply of moisture) and xeric (moisture deficient) environments as well as gradation (elevation). Phenological barriers include genetic interinfertility (between species of section Lenticellosis, [chromosomes 2n=40] and section Vitis [chromosomes 2n=38]), length of dormancy and natural spacing of flowering periods. When species coexist in the same ecological habitats, Comeaux found that they possessed phenological differences that served to preclude hybridization. For example, when Vitis labrusca and Vitis cinerea coexist, they are respectively the first Vitis to flower and the last to flower, with at least a month of separation. In some areas where the flowering periods are closer together, interinfertility prevails -- as when Vitis cinerea and Vitis rotundifolia coexist. Comeaux also found locations where one species occupied a wet valley, another occupied an adjacent mesic hillside or ridgeside and yet another occupied a semi-mesic hilltop or ridgetop. While interspecies hybridization can and does occur, it is far less prevalent in nature than previously believed. Indeed, it is rare.

Intraspecies differentiation -- i.e. the differentiation of a species into subspecies -- is far more likely than natural hybridization, and yet natural hybriduzation may play an important role in obscuring intraspecies differentiation itself. Indeed, Vitis aestivalis, Vitis cinerea and Vitis rotundifolia each has several subspecies. Populations exist where two or more of the Vitis aestivalis varieties (Vitis aestivalis va. aestivalis, Vitis aestivalis var. lincecumii, Vitis aestivalis var. glauca, and Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor), for example, exist contiguously and where, on their common boundary, they intergrade into an intermediate variety, neither one nor the other, but nonetheless recognizable as Vitis aestivalis. Whether this is a result of hybridization between the two varieties is impossible to tell presently, but does make differentiation difficult if not impossible with the tools available to the field collector today.

There is a great diversity of names associated with North American native grapes. So much so that even I am often confused. Therefore, I continue my research and make corrections here as I become convinced they are warranted. The problem is that so many early botanists went about classifying the natives without knowledge of the work of others, or with knowledge but without access to the specimens used by others, and, of course, some classifications were simply wrong -- cases of mistaken identity.

Linnaeus, Michaux, Munson, Engelmann, Simpson, Buckley, Bailey, Planchon, and others went about trying to make sense of the wide varieties of grapes found growing in the wild. The result is that there are a multitude of names assigned to grapes species, subspecies, varieties, and forms that found their way into the literature but are not accepted by authorities in taxon nomenclature. Many grapes are identified under two species, as you will note below if you are attentive in your reading. However, to quote Barry Comeaux, "With few exceptions, Munson got it pretty much right." Finally, names change. Vitis candicans (Engelmann), commonly known in Texas as the mustang grape, has been officially dropped in favor of the earlier Vitis mustangensis (Buckley). While I discovered this long ago, it took me many years for me to accept it. In my mind, it is still Vitis candicans Similarly, Vitis cordifolia (Michaux) has been abandoned in favor of Vitis vulpina (Linnaeus). But hanging around are a multitude of names assigned to the same grape -- not intentionally, but because the namer either thought he has discovered a new species, subspecies or variety, or, more often than not, he simply misidentified it.

For those who would do their own research and care for my opinion, I am most fond of the writings of Munson, Bailey, Engelmann and Comeaux, as they were able to retrospectively correct many mistakes of their predecessors (and contribute a few of their own). Hedrick's writing is the most readable and at 594 pages is a wonderful source, though hard to find. This section, I am sure, will continue to evolve as I continue my private studies and find time to comment on them.

Various authorities recognize between 19 and 35 species of native North American grape. I follow a course between these extremes, and continuing research results in occasional modifications of my listing. I doubt I shall ever be satisfied enough to call this chapter finished, but one must from time to time take a snapshot of what he thinks he knows and say this is where my knowledge stands today. My own conspectus of native North American Vitis species is reflected below.

Quite often the number of native grapes in a given state increases over time. This may be attributed to natural encroachment, but more often than not it is the result of man himself. I personally have two grapes growing on my back fences, grown from cuttings sent to me from both Atlantic and Pacific states, that are not naturally native to Texas (by james key). It is possible that birds will spread the seeds of these two species and seedlings may appear in my area quite "naturally." But the fact will remain that these two grapes are not indigenous to Texas. Citing Munson and others, I count 14 species as indigenous to Texas. Others have different counts based on evidence not cited.

The table below is as authoritative a list of native North American grapes as I am able to construct at this time, although my research continues. With 83 entries for 30 accepted and 5 pending species on the entire continent, it should should be recognized by all that far more species have been claimed than actually exist. Please note that those names below not recognized as representing a unique species contain the name of the actual species the unrecognized name in fact refers to. Common names in all cases refer to the accepted species.

North American Native Grape Listcompiled by Jack Keller

Binomial

Attribution

Accepted Name

Common Names

Vitis

Linnaeus

Accepted

grape

Vitis X bourquina

Munson ex Viala (pro sp.)

Accepted (hybrid not natural)

grape

Vitis X champinii

Planch. (pro sp.)

Accepted (mustangensis × rupestris)

Champin's grape

Vitis X doaniana

Munson ex Viala (pro sp.)

Accepted (acerifolia × mustangensis)

Doan's grape

Vitis X labruscana

Bailey (pro sp.)

Accepted (hybrid not natural)

grape

Vitis X novae-angliae

Fern. (pro sp.)

Accepted (labrusca × riparia)

pilgrin grape

Vitis X slavinii

Rehd. (pro sp.)

Vitis aestivalis var. aestivalis

Slavin's grape

Vitis acerifolia

Raf.

Accepted

bush grape, mapleleaf grape

Vitis aestivalis

Michx.

Accepted

summer grape

Vitis aestivalis var. aestivalis

Michx.

Accepted

summer grape

Vitis aestivalis var. argentifolia

(Munson) Fern.

Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor

summer grape

Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor

Deam

Accepted

summer grape

Vitis aestivalis var. canescens

Engelm.

Vitis cinerea var. cinerea

graybark grape

Vitis aestivalis var. glauca

(Munson) Bailey (Keller & Comeaux)

Pending

blue-leaf grape, summer grape

Vitis aestivalis var. lincecumii

(Buckl.) Munson

Accepted

post oak grape, pinewood grape

Vitis aestivalis var. monticola

(Buckl.) Engelm.

Vitis monticola

mountain grape, sweet mountain grape

Vitis argentifolia

Munson

Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor

summer grape

Vitis arizonica

Engelm.

Accepted

canyon grape

Vitis arizonica var. galvinii

Munson

Vitis arizonica

canyon grape

Vitis arizonica var. glabra

Munson

Vitis arizonica

canyon grape

Vitis austrina

Small

Vitis cinerea var. floridana

Florida grape

Vitis baileyana

Munson

Vitis cinerea var. baileyana

graybark grape

Vitis berlandieri

Planch.

Vitis cinerea var. helleri

Heller's grape

Vitis bicolor

Le Conte, non Raf.

Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor

summer grape

Vitis biformis

Rose

Pending

grape

Vitis blancoi

Rose

Accepted

Blanco's grape

Vitis bloodworthiana

Comeaux

Accepted

grape

Vitis californica

Benth

Accepted

California grape

Vitis candicans

Englem.

Vitis mustangensis

mustang grape

Vitis candicans var. coriacea

Bailey

Vitis shuttleworthii

calloose grape

Vitis candicans var. diversa

Bailey

Vitis mustangensis

mustang grape

Vitis cinerea

(Engelm.) Millard

Accepted

graybark grape, sweet grape

Vitis cinerea var. baileyana

(Munson) Comeaux

Accepted

graybark grape

Vitis cinerea var. canescens

(Engelm.) Bailey

Vitis cinerea var. cinerea

graybark grape

Vitis cinerea var. cinerea

(Engelm.) Millard

Accepted

graybark grape

Vitis cinerea var. floridana

Munson

Accepted

Florida grape

Vitis cinerea var. helleri

(Bailey) M.O. Moore

Accepted

Heller's grape

Vitis cinerea var. tomentosa

(Planch.) Comeaux

Accepted

woolly-leaf grape

Vitis cordifolia

Michx.

Vitis vulpina

fox grape, frost grape, wild grape

Vitis cordifolia var. foetida

Engelm.

Vitis vulpina

fox grape, frost grape, wild grape

Vitis cordifolia var. helleri

auct. p.p. non Bailey

Vitis cinerea var. helleri

Heller's grape

Vitis cordifolia var. sempervirens

Munson

Vitis vulpina

fox grape, frost grape, wild grape

Vitis coriacea

Shuttlw. ex Planch. non Miq.

Vitis shuttleworthii

calloose grape

Vitis foexana

Planch.

Vitis monticola

mountain grape, sweet mountain grape

Vitis girdiana

Munson

Accepted

desert wild grape

Vitis helleri

auct. p.p. non (Bailey) Small

Vitis cinerea var. helleri

Heller's grape

Vitis illex

Bailey

Vitis vulpina

fox grape, frost grape, wild grape

Vitis jaegeriana

Comeaux

Pending

grape

Vitis labrusca

Linnaeus

Accepted

fox grape

Vitis labrusca var. subdentata

Fern.

Vitis labrusca

fox grape

Vitis lecontiana

House

Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor

summer grape

Vitis lincecumii

Buckl.

Vitis aestivalis var. lincecumii

post oak grape, pinewood grape

Vitis lincecumii var. glauca

Munson

Vitis aestivalis var. glauca

summer grape

Vitis lincecumii var. lactea

Small

Vitis cinerea var. cinerea

summer grape

Vitis longii

Prince

Vitis acerifolia

mapleleaf grape

Vitis longii var. microsperma

(Munson) Bailey

Vitis acerifolia

mapleleaf grape

Vitis montana

Buckl. ex Foex

Vitis monticola

mountain grape, sweet mountain grape

Vitis monticola

Buckl.

Accepted

mountain grape, sweet mountain grape

Vitis munsoniana

Simpsom ex Munson

Vitis rotundifolia var. munsoniana

Munson's grape

Vitis mustangensis

Buckl.

Accepted

mustang grape

Vitis mustangensis var. diversa

(Bailey) Shinners

Vitis mustangensis

mustang grape

Vitis nesbittiana

Comeaux

Accepted

grape

Vitis palmata

Vahl

Accepted

catbird grape

Vitis popenoei

Fennel

Accepted

totoloche grape

Vitis riparia

Michx.

Accepted

riverbank grape

Vitis riparia var. praecox

Engelm. ex Bailey

Vitis riparia

riverbank grape

Vitis riparia var. syrticola

(Fern. & Wieg.) Fern.

Vitis riparia

riverbank grape

Vitis rotundifolia

Michx.

Accepted

muscadine

Vitis rotundifolia var. munsoniana

Michx.

Accepted

Munson's grape

Vitis rotundifolia var. munsoniana forma pygmaea

(Simpson ex Munson) Moore (Rogers & Mortensem) Comeaux.

Pending

Pigmy muscadine

Vitis rotundifolia var. rotundifolia

Michx.

Accepted

muscadine

Vitis rubra

Michx.

Vitis palmata

catbird grape

Vitis rufotomentosa

Small

Vitis aestivalis var. aestivalis

summer grape

Vitis rupestris

Scheele

Accepted

sand grape

Vitis rupestris var. dissecta

Eggert ex Bailey

Vitis rupestris

sand grape

Vitis shuttleworthii

House

Accepted

calloose grape

Vitis simpsonii

Munson 1887 non 1890

Vitis cinerea var. floridana

Florida grape

Vitis simpsonii

Munson 1890 non 1887

Vitis aestivalis var. aestivalis

summer grape

Vitis smalliana

Bailey

Vitis aestivalis var. aestivalis

summer grape

Vitis sola

Bailey

Vitis cinerea var. floridana

Florida grape

Vitis solonis

hort. Berol. ex Planch.

Vitis acerifolia

bush grape, mapleleaf grape

Vitis texana

Munson

Vitis monticola

mountain grape, sweet mountain grape

Vitis tiliifolia

Humb. & Bonpl. ex J.A. Schultes

Accepted

West Indian grape

Vitis treleasei

Munson ex Bailey

Vitis arizonica

canyon grape

Vitis vulpina

L.

Accepted

frost grape

Vitis vulpina ssp. riparia

(Michx.) R.T. Clausen

Vitis riparia

riverbank grape

Vitis vulpina var. praecox

(Engelm. ex Bailey) Bailey

Vitis riparia

riverbank grape

Vitis vulpina var. syrticola

Fern. & Wieg.

Vitis riparia

riverbank grape

Compare the list above with the List of Offered Names for Vitis Species, linked below the text portion of this page.

Common names for native grape varieties are widely varied, often misappropriated from an entirely different species located elsewhere. At least two species (and ofter more) each have varieties referred to, for example, as the mustang grape, fox grape, frost grape, beach grape, gulch grape, canyon grape, sugar grape, florida grape, and bush grape. Small grapes are often incorrectly referred to as possum grape regardless of species. And almost everywhere I have pointed to wild grapes and asked local residents what they call them, I have been told, "Wild grapes."

Indeed, local names are more confusing than botanical names, and botanical names are confusing enough. It is universally accepted that the American native muscadine grape is the Vitis rotundifolia, yet that same grape has been variously identified (sometimes quite mistakenly) as Vitis acerifolia, Vitis angulata, Vitis callosa, Vitis cordifolia, Vitis Hyemalis, Vitis muscadina, Vitis mustangensis, Vitis peltata, Vitis taurina, and Vitis verrucosa. To help the viewer (hopefully), I'll list the common and botanical varieties for each of several species, citing the authority for the name in parentheses when known, although this list is by no means complete and indeed is still under construction. A word of warning, however: there are many duplicate names in the list below due to widespread confusion as to the identity of many wild grapes. As I said, I am attempting to tidy up the list and it is nowhere near as complete as the list in the table above.

The most common of the native Vitis species in North America are the Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, Vitis labrusca, and Vitis rupestris. Due to their resistance to certain diseases which European grapes of the Vitis vinifera pedigree are more susceptible, Native North American vines have long been used as rootstock for vinifera grafts and for development of hardy hybrids.

Cultivated and hybrid varieties of Vitis rotundifolia that birds sometimes transfer to the wild are the Black Beauty, Black Fry, Bountiful, Carlos, Chief, Cowart, Darlene, Dearing, Delight, Dixie, Doreen, Florida Fry, Fry, Higgins, Hunt, Ison, Janebell, Janet, Jumbo, Loomis, Magnolia, Nesbitt, Noble, Pineapple, Regale, Scuppernong, Sterling, Summit, Supreme, Sweet Jenny, Tara, Tarheel, and Triumph. Some of the cultivated cousins of the hardy fox grape, Vitis labrusca, which are sometimes found in the wild are the Alexander, Catawba, Champion, Concord, Delaware, and Niagara. Nearly all of these produce a purple-black fruit with a bluish bloom, although green and bronze varieties of both are known -- especially the Scuppernong grape of the Carolinas and many of the cultivars. With few notable exceptions (the cultivars listed above, for example), most natives are rarely sweet enough for the table, so one should suspect any really sweet wild grape of being an escaped cultivar or of hybrid parentage.

Got a Favorite Native Grape Recipe?

If you have a favorite (or simply a different) recipe for a native grape wine and want to share it, please send it to Jack Keller for inclusion in this section. You'll be given credit for the recipe and the rest of us will be that much richer for it.

Last update was August 28th, 2006.

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